An electrical connector includes an insulative housing and a plurality of contacts. Each contact has a retaining section, a mating section and a crimping section, the insulative housing defines a positioning groove communicated with contact-receiving passageways, the retaining section is provided with an elastic retaining arm extending backwards, a pair of cutouts on both sides of the retaining arm along a transverse direction, and a pair of limiting walls exposed in the cutouts and the positioning groove. When the contacts assembled to the relative contact-receiving passageways, each retaining arm is abutting against a rear inner surface of the positioning groove via a free end thereof to prevent the contact moving backwards, the electrical connector further comprises a retainer, and the retainer defines a plurality of limiting blocks extruding into the positioning groove and the corresponding cutouts, and the limiting blocks are abutting against the relative limiting walls.
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1. An electrical connector, comprising:
an insulative housing having a plurality of contact-receiving passageways extending along a front-and-back direction; and
a plurality of contacts retained in the insulative housing, and the contacts being inserted into the corresponding contact-receiving passageways along a rear-to-front direction, each contact having a retaining section, a mating section extending forwards from the retaining section and a crimping section extending rearwards from the retaining section; wherein
the insulative housing defines a positioning portion opening outwards along an up-and-down direction, and the positioning portion is communicated with the contact-receiving passageways, the retaining section is provided with an elastic retaining arm extending backwards, a pair of cutouts on both sides of the retaining arm along a transverse direction, and a pair of limiting walls exposed in the cutouts and the positioning portion;
when the contacts assembled to the relative contact-receiving passageways, each retaining arm is abutting against a rear inner surface of the positioning portion via a free end thereof to prevent the contact moving backwards, the electrical connector further comprises a retainer matched with the insulative housing, and the retainer defines a plurality of limiting blocks extruding into the positioning portion and the corresponding cutouts, and the limiting blocks are abutting against the relative limiting walls.
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The present application claims the priority of Chinese Patent Application No. 201810027857.0, filed on Jan. 11, 2018, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention relates to an electrical connector, and more particularly to an electrical connector having a better structural efficiency and retention.
A traditional electrical connector used for power transmission mainly comprises a plurality of contacts for power transmission and an insulative housing holding the contacts. Each contact is retained in the insulative housing via an elastic sheet thereof, the insulative housing defines a plurality of latching slots matching with the corresponding elastic sheets, thus the insulative housing may have a weak structure, and the electrical connector may be mated with a complementary connector by mistake.
Hence, it is desired to provide an electrical connector to overcome the problems mentioned above.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector having a better structural efficiency and retention.
The present invention is directed to an electrical connector comprising an insulative housing and a plurality of contacts retained in the insulative housing. The insulative housing has a plurality of contact-receiving passageways extending along a front-and-back direction. The contacts are inserted into the corresponding contact-receiving passageways along a rear-to-front direction, each contact has a retaining section, a mating section extending forwards from the retaining section and a crimping section extending rearwards from the retaining section. The insulative housing defines a positioning groove opening outwards along an up-and-down direction, and the positioning groove is communicated with the contact-receiving passageways, the retaining section is provided with an elastic retaining arm extending backwards, a pair of cutouts on both sides of the retaining arm along a transverse direction, and a pair of limiting walls exposed in the cutouts and the positioning groove. When the contacts assembled to the relative contact-receiving passageways, each retaining arm is abutting against a rear inner surface of the positioning groove via a free end thereof to prevent the contact moving backwards, the electrical connector further comprises a retainer matched with the insulative housing, and the retainer defines a plurality of limiting blocks extruding into the positioning groove and the corresponding cutouts, and the limiting blocks are abutting against the relative limiting walls.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present embodiment when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
Reference will be made to the drawing figures to describe the present invention in detail, wherein depicted elements are not necessarily shown to scale and wherein like of similar elements are designated by same or similar reference numeral through the several views and same or similar terminology.
The insulative housing 1 comprises a main portion 11, a mating portion 12 extending forwardly from the main portion 11, a pair of elastic latching arms 13 located on both sides of the main portion 11 and the mating portion 12, and a plurality of contact-receiving passageways 14 extending through the main portion 11 and the mating portion 12 along the front-and-back direction.
The main portion 11 defines a positioning portion 111 opening outwards along the up-and-down direction, and the positioning portion 111 is communicated with the contact-receiving passageways 14. Specifically, as shown in
There is a one-to-one correspondence between the second positioning grooves 1112 and the contact-receiving passageways 14. The main portion 11 further has a pair of fastening holes 112 neighboring to a back end thereof, and the fastening holes 112 is defined on two opposite sides of the main portion 11 along the transverse direction. The fastening holes 112 are communicated with the first positioning area 1111 along the up-and-down direction. At least two barriers 15 are disposed between the first positioning area 1111 and the mating portion 12, and two neighboring barriers 15 is separated from each other by an engaging slot 151. That is to say, the first positioning area 1111 is a sunken area compared with the barriers 15 and the latching arms 13.
The contacts 2 are assembled into the corresponding contact-receiving passageways 14 along a rear-to-front direction, and each contact 2 includes a retaining section 21, a mating section 22 extending forwards from the retaining section 21 and a crimping section 23 extending rearwards from the retaining section 21.
The retaining section 21 is provided with an elastic retaining arm 2121 extending backwards, a pair of cutouts 2122 on both sides of the retaining arm 2121 along the transverse direction, and a pair of limiting walls 2123 exposed in the cutouts 2122 and the positioning portion 111. When the contacts 2 assembled to the relative contact-receiving passageways 14, the retaining arm 2121 is abutting against a rear inner surface 1113 of the positioning portion 111 via a free end thereof, thus prevent the contacts 2 moving backwards. Specifically, the free end of the retaining arm 2121 is abutting against the rear inner surface of the relative second positioning groove 1112.
Additionally, referring to
In further,
Specially, the cutouts 2122 are formed in a conjoining area between the middle wall 212 and the lateral walls 213, thus the limiting walls 2123 is of L-shaped. Each contact 2 is defined corresponding to a pair of limiting blocks 31, each pair of limiting blocks 31 are assembled into the relative cutouts 2122 of the corresponding contact 2, and abutting against the relative limiting walls 2123.
The mating section 22 is of a rectangular tubular shape, and comprises a pair of opposite contacting walls 221, two protective wall groups bending from two opposite sides of the contacting walls 221, and a stopping portion 223 bending from a front end of one contacting wall 221 towards another contacting wall 221. Each protective wall group has two protective walls 222 extending towards each other. Each contacting wall 221 is connected with the corresponding lateral wall 213 on a same side to make the mating section 22 connected the retaining section 21, the contacting wall 221 and the lateral wall 213 on a same side are coplanar. In other embodiment, each protective wall group also can have only one protective wall 222 extending from one contacting wall 221 towards another contacting wall 221.
A contacting portion 2212 is formed on a front end of each contacting wall 221, and two contacting portions 2212 on opposite sides are extruding towards each other along the transverse direction. An elastic arm 2211 is tore from each contacting wall 221 and extends forwards, and each contacting portion 2212 is extending forwards from the relative elastic arm 2211 to form a V-shaped configuration.
Both sides of the contacting portions 2212 in the up-and-down direction are shaded by the protective walls 222. As each elastic arm 2211 tore from the contacting wall 221, a pair of tearing slits are formed in the contacting wall 221 and extending to both ends of the contacting wall 221 in the up-and-down direction, thus the relative side edges of the protective walls 222 are exposed in the tearing slits. In further, the side edges of the protective walls 222 corresponding to the tearing slits are extruding beyond the relative inner wall of the contacting wall 221, thus most segment of the elastic arms 2211 can be shaded by the protective walls 222. The periphery of the free end of each elastic arm 2211 is not extending beyond the periphery of the protective walls 222.
Therefore, during the installation process of the contact 2, the protective walls 222 can protect the elastic arms 2211 in the up-and-down and the transverse direction perpendicular to the installation direction, thus the elastic arms 2211 can be prevented from deformation when an extra force exerting on from above, from below, from the right or from the left. Moreover, as the two protective walls 222 in a group extending towards each other, the two contacting walls 221 also can be prevent from deformation when moving towards each other.
Furthermore, each protective wall group defines a testing hole 2221 extending through thereof in the up-and-down direction. The testing holes 2221 are aligning with the contacting portion 2212 along the transverse direction, thus users can observe the coating condition of the contacting portion 2212 from the testing holes 2221, and it's expedient for electroplating onto the contacting portion 2212.
Conjunction with
Referring to
In the second embodiment, the stopping portion 223′ is served by a pair of extruding tabs, and each extruding tab is extending inwards from an inner edge of the contacting wall 221′ neighboring to a free end of the elastic arm 2211′. In the plugging direction of the electrical connector, the free ends of the elastic arms 2211′ are shaded by the stopping portion 223′, therefore, the free ends of the elastic arms 2211′ can be prevent from abutting against the complementary contact, and then the phenomenon of the contact 2′ destroyed by abutting against can be avoided, finally a smooth insertion can be guaranteed.
In addition, the fool-proof protrusion 2232′ is bending from an extending end of one protective wall 222′ and extending along the up-and-down direction.
In the present embodiment, the mating section 42 is of a rectangular tubular shape, and has a smaller outer diameter than the retaining section 41, therefore the mating section 42 is contracted compared with the retaining section 41.
The mating section 42 also comprises a pair of opposite contacting walls 421, two protective wall groups bending from two opposite sides of the contacting walls 421, and each protective wall group 422 has two protective walls 422 extending towards each other. Each contacting wall 421 is connected with the corresponding lateral wall 413 on a same side to make the mating section 42 connected the retaining section 41. A fool-proof protrusion 410 is extending outwards from a front end of a middle wall 412 of the retaining section 41.
Each contacting wall 421 has a contacting portion 4212, and two contacting portions 4212 on opposite sides are extruding towards each other along the transverse direction. An elastic arm 4211 is tore from each contacting wall 421 and extends forwards, and each contacting portion 4212 is extending forwards from the relative elastic arm 4211 to form a V-shaped configuration.
Both sides of the contacting portions 4212 in the up-and-down direction are shaded by the protective walls 422, thus the protective walls 422 can shield the contacting portions 4212 from both sides, and the contacting portions 4212 can be prevented from deformation when an extra force exerting on from both sides.
The mating section 42 further has a pair of protective shields 4213 bending backwards from a front end of the contacting wall 421, and each protective shield 4213 extends reversely to locate on the outside of the relative elastic arm 4211, thus protects the relative elastic arm 4211 from outside, and can provide a supporting force from outside, the elastic arms 4211 can be prevented from an excessive outward deformation. In further, each protective shield 4213 has a rear segment outside of the elastic arm 4211, and the rear segment has a larger dimension than the elastic arm 4211 along the up-and-down direction. Both lateral edges of each protective shield 4213 extend towards the protective walls 422, and are aligning with the protective walls 422, thus the protective shields 4213 can be prevented from moving inwards.
The mating section 42 defines an inserting opening 420 on a front end thereof for a complementary contact inserting into. Firstly, each protective shield 4213 extends forwardly and towards an interior of the inserting opening 420 slantly from the front end of the contacting wall 421, then extends reversely to locate on the outside of the relative elastic arm 4211. Therefore in the plugging direction of the electrical connector, the free end of each elastic arm 4211 is shaded by a conjoining area between the protective shield 4213 and the contacting wall 421, therefore, the free ends of the elastic arms 4211 can be prevent from abutting against the complementary contact, and then the phenomenon of the contact 4 destroyed by abutting against can be avoided, finally a smooth insertion can be guaranteed.
Additionally, one of the protective wall 422 defines a tab 4221 on a free end thereof, and the tab 4221 extends slantly towards the interior of the inserting opening 420, for guiding the complementary contact plugged into the pair of contacting portions 4212.
The retaining section 51 has a similar structure as the retaining section 21 in the first embodiment, and the difference is a pair of restricting pieces 514 formed on the retaining section 51, and the restricting pieces 514 are extending towards each other from side edges of relative lateral walls 513. The restricting pieces 514 can prevent the lateral walls 513 from moving towards each other. In other embodiment, only one restricting piece 514 is formed and extending from one lateral wall 513 towards another lateral wall 513, and the lateral walls 513 also can be prevented from moving towards each other.
The mating section 52 is also of U-shaped corresponding to the retaining section 51, and comprises a pair of opposite contacting walls 521 and a connecting wall 522 linked with the pair of opposite contacting walls 521. The contacting walls 521 are connected with the corresponding lateral walls 513 of the retaining section 51, and the connecting wall 522 is connected with a middle wall 511 of the retaining section 51.
Each contacting wall 521 comprises a primary plate 5211 directly connected with the retaining section 51, and an elastic arm 5212 bending from an opening end of the primary plate 5211 adjacent to the mating section 52. Each elastic arm 5212 includes a contacting portion 5213 protruding towards the opposite elastic arm 5212 for electrically connecting with a complementary contact. Each primary plate 5211 can protect the corresponding elastic arm 5212 from outside of the corresponding elastic arm 5212.
In addition, the mating section 52 further has a stopping portion 523 bending from a front end of the connecting wall 522, and the stopping portion 523 is disposed in front of free ends of the contacting walls 521. An inserting opening 5230 is defined through the stopping portion 523. In the plugging direction of the electrical connector, free ends of the elastic arms 5212 are covered by the stopping portion 523. A fool-proof protrusion 5231 is extending outwards from an extension end of the stopping portion 523.
Furthermore, a testing hole 5221 is defined through the connecting wall 522, and the testing hole 5221 is aligning with the contacting portions 5213 along the transverse direction.
It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.
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